Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, found himself in an unforeseen situation on Friday morning when he was apprehended by the Louisville police near Valhalla Golf Club. The incident took place just before the commencement of the second round of the PGA Championship. Scheffler was taken into custody before 7:30 a.m., as confirmed by the Louisville Metropolitan Department of Corrections.
Eyewitnesses reported that the situation escalated quickly and intensely. Scheffler, aged 27, was attempting to maneuver around traffic caused by a fatal accident involving a shuttle bus near the golf course. As he tried to enter the course, a police officer started banging on the side of his car, signaling him to stop. Scheffler continued to drive for about 10 yards before he stopped his vehicle. The officer then reached into the car, trying to pull Scheffler out. Eventually, Scheffler opened the door, and the officer pulled him out, pushed him against the car, and handcuffed him.
The car Scheffler was driving was a courtesy vehicle provided to players for accessing the course. Despite this, the police officer informed bystanders that Scheffler was being arrested, and PGA security was not allowed to intervene as he was taken away. Scheffler, visibly taken aback by the unfolding events, was placed in the back of the police car. He was detained in the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes. At that time, the officers were not aware that Scheffler was a participant in the tournament, let alone the world’s top-ranked golfer.
Scheffler, who was scheduled to tee off at 8:48 a.m., was trying to reach the course for the second round of the tournament, which was delayed by an hour and a half. Despite the morning’s events, Scheffler had performed well in the tournament, shooting a 4-under 67 on Thursday, leaving him five shots behind leader Xander Schauffele.
The incident took place as Scheffler was making his return to the circuit following the birth of his first child, a son named Bennett, with his wife Meredith. The two-time Masters winner had missed the Wells Fargo Championship the previous week, which was won by Rory McIlroy. Scheffler, who married Meredith in 2020, had recently shared the first image of his newborn son on social media, expressing his joy at becoming a parent.